This invention relates generally to video surveillance systems and in particular to a method and system of controlling a video surveillance system.
The prior art surveillance systems in which everything is hardwired and preset have not provided flexibility and ease of setup. Such systems require that during setup all possible events and the surveillance system's responses to those events be determined before the system is hardwired. After the system has been installed, few changes can be made to the system without substantial expenses and labor. The setup in a networked video surveillance system containing a large number of video surveillance cameras, event detectors, and video recorders has also been a formidable task requiring tedious setup to provide for all of the possible variations required to have the appropriate devices respond to a detected event such as an alarm. Even when the personnel responsible for the setup have been able to envision every possible parameter to be addressed, equipment changes or equipment problems making the desired device unavailable for a particular circumstance have created even further difficulties in creating a video surveillance system that meets the high standards required for today's systems. Accordingly, there has been a long felt need for a video surveillance system that facilitates setup and adapts to varying devices and the changing availability of the system resources.